Fall-board structure for pianos or the like



Oct. 7, 1941. P. M. GAZLAY FALL-BOARD STRUCTURE FOR PIANOS OR THE LIKEFiled March 19, 1941 WEI-L Er" P401. /7. GAZLAV.

Patented Oct. 7, 1941 FALL-BOAHD STRUCTURE FOR PIANOS OR THE Paul M.Gazlay, Chicag0,]]l.

Application March 19, 1941, Serial No. 384,059

3 Claims,

My invention relates to musical instruments such as pianos, organs, orthe like and particularly to improved full board structure for suchinstruments.

In instruments of the type referred to, a fall board structure isusually provided for covering the keys when the instrument is not inuse. Such fall boards usually comprise a board or body for extending:across the top of the keys between the side walls of the keyboard, andhaving a depending lip along its front edge for seating against thefront rail of the keyboard structure. A usual practice has been to hingethe fall board with a continuous hinge between the rear edge of the fallboard and the front edge of the horizontal ledge extending over therearends of the keys in front of the top panel of the instrument casing sothat the fall board could be swung back with its top surface resting onthe ledge and its lip projecting upwardly alongside of the top panel.With this prior arrangement, the under or inner side of the fall boardstructure had to be highly finished and polished so as to present a neatappearance when the board was swung into its open upside down position,and furthermore when thus swung to open position, the hinge structurewas fully exposed to view to present a more or less unsightlyappearance.

An important object of my invention is to provide improved hingingarrangement for the fall 2 board so that the board will not have to beturned upside down when swung to its open position, but may be bodilyraised and swung through an arc to be seated on top of the horizontalledge in front of the casing top panel into open position parallel withits closed position and with its lip resting on the cove strip extendingalong the rear ends of the keys.

A further object is to eliminate the continuous hinge and to utilize acomparatively small number, preferably three, simple hinge units foradapting the board for the opening movement described.

The various features of my invention are incorporated in the structureshown on the draw- I ing, in which drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of the front portion of a piano showing myimproved fall board arrangement; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged section on plane II-II I;

Figure 1.

On the drawing, it indicates the side walls of the piano casing havingthe cheeks I i projecting forwardly therefrom between which extends thekeyboard structure l2, having the front rail l3.

The key bars 14 extend into the keyboard and terminate in keys [5 abovewhose rear end the cove bar it extends between the cheeks ll. Over thekey here behind the cove bar It extends the horizontal ledge board I!between Whose rear edge and the front edge of the casing top 18 extendsthe inclined top panel H9.

The fall board structure comprises a body 20 which may be a plain boardof a length to-ex-tend between the cheeks H above th keys, and a lip 21depending from the front edge of the board for seating against thekeyboard rail 1 3 when the fall board is in closed position, A number ofdouble hinge units H are provided, three being preferable, as shown onFigure "1. Each hinge unit comprises the end hinge plates 2-2 and 23connected by hinge joints 24 and 25 with the re spective endsof anintermediate plate part 26. This intermediate plate part 25;may be asingle plate, or, hinge plates of two ordinary hinge units maybe weldedtogether as indicated at -21 to form a comparatively long intermediatehinge part 25 of the double hinge unit H.

The hinge plates 22 of the units H are secured against the underside ofthe ledge board I! with the hinge joints 24 at the front lower edge ofthe board, while the hinge plates 23 of the units are secured againstthe underside of the fall board 28 with the hinge joints 25 in a line adistance forwardly of the rear edge of the board 20. The intermediateplate part 26 of each hinge unit H is bent longitudinally along atransverse line adjacent to the rear edge of the fall board 20 so thatthe inner portions 26 of the parts 25 are inclined and the outerportions of the parts 26 are horizontal so that, when the fall board isclosed, its body 20 will be in a horizontal plane and the lip 2: willrest against the rail [3, the board 29 being in a horizontal plane adistance below the plane of the ledge board l1. When it is desired toopen the fall board, it is raised bodily and swung rearwardly with thehinge joints 25 following an are centered at the hinge joints 24, asindicated by the dot and dash lines in Figure 2, until the board 20comes to rest on top of the ledge board H, as shown by the full dottedlines. Suitable grip members such as knobs or buttons 28 may be providedon the fall board so that it may be readily lifted and swung, and on theunderside of the board adjacent to the rear end thereof rubber buttons28 may be provided for engaging the ledge board 21, the lip 2| restingagainst the cove bar l6 when the fall board is in its open position. Thelocation of the hinge joints 25 on the board 20 is such that when theboard is moved to its opened position, the rear edge of the board willbe against the top panel l9, and preferably the rear edge 30 of theboard 20 is inclined to the same angle as the panel [9 so as to fitclosely against the panel when the board is in its opened position. Thefront edge 3| of the ledge board I! may also be beveled to the sameangle as the edge 30 so as to make way for the inner portion 25 of thehinge intermediate parts 25 when the fall board is moved to its openedposition, as indicated by the full dotted lines on Figure 2.

As the fall board is not inverted when it is moved to its open position,the expense of highly finishing and polishing the inner side of the fallboard is eliminated. When the board is in its closed position, onlyportions of the hinge joints 25 of the hinge units are visible, thearrangement thus presenting a neater appearance. When the fall board isin its open position, the hinge structures will be entirely hidden andthe unsightly appearance of a long length of continuous hinge used inprior structures will be eliminated.

I have thus produced a simplified and more efficient fall boardarrangement and operation for pianos or the like which will materiallyreduce the cost of manufacture of instruments of this type. I have showna practical and efiicient embodiment of my invention but I do not desireto be limited to the exact construction, arrangement and operation shownand described, as changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

I claim as follows:

1. In a piano having a casing provided with a forwardly extendinghorizontal ledge board, a fall board normally positioned extendinghorizontally and forwardly of said ledge board to cover the keys of thepiano, and means to provide for movement of said fall board rearwardlyto sit horizontally on said ledge board and uncover the piano keys, saidmeans comprising a plurality of double-hinge units with each unitcomprising a first hinge plate on the under side of said ledge board atthe front lower edge thereof, a second hinge plate on the under side ofsaid fall board and remote from the rear edge of said fall board, and aconnecting plate hingedly connected at its ends to said first plate andto said second plate, respectively.

2. In a piano having a casing provided with a forwardly extendinghorizontal flat ledge board, a flat fall board extending horizontallyand forwardly of said ledge board to cover the keys of the piano, andmeans to provide for movement of said fall board rearwardly to sithorizontally on said ledge board, said means comprising a plurality ofdouble-hinge units with each unit comprising a first hinge plate securedagainst the under side of said ledge board with its hinge joint at thefront lower edge of the board, a second hinge plate secured against theunder side of said fall board with its hinge joint close to thelongitudinal median line of the fall board, and an intermediate platehingedly connected at its ends to said first and to said second plates,respectively, the portion of said intermediate plate adjacent said firstplate being bent for engaging against the forward edge of said ledgeboard when the fall board is seated on said ledge board.

3. In a piano or the like having a casing provided with a forwardlyextending ledge board, a fall board normally extending horizontally andforwardly of said ledge board for covering the piano keys, and means toprovide for movement of said fall board rearwardly to a horizontalposition above said ledge board, said means comprising bars disposedbelow said fall board and hinged at one end at the front edge of saidledge board and hinged at the other end to the fall board at a pointforwardly of the rear edge of said fall board.

PAUL M. GAZLAY.

